Are you looking for innovative ways to stay healthy and productive? Don’t worry, you aren’t the only one. Ridding your mind of germs and geriatric caregivers is a never-ending process. However, that doesn’t mean we should give up on our quest for better health. Innovation breeds innovation, and every year sees new ideas springing forth from the minds of people who are trying to find solutions to real-world problems.
Healthcare is full of these, from improving outcomes for certain procedures to cutting costs through cost-effective innovations. This is why we have brought together 10 of the most creative healthcare innovations currently available. Read on to learn more about them:
Anti-MRSA Treatment
MRSA stands for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a type of bacteria that can cause skin infections and blood infections. While antibiotic treatments have been found to reduce the risk of getting MRSA, they are not 100% effective. Scientists have now created a new treatment that shows impressive results in MRSA-infected mice, proving that it could soon be available to humans as well.
The treatment is a cationic polymer, which is a positively charged chemical. The polymer is injected into the bloodstream and binds to the MRSA bacteria, which causes it to agglomerate and clump together, making it easy to remove.
Conversely, the treatment can also be used to collect bacteria, as it is negatively charged and repels positive charges. Additionally, it has no effect on healthy human cells. This is the first treatment to specifically target MRSA while giving no side effects to human cells.
3D Printing In Healthcare
Today’s medical technology is amazing, but it’s also expensive, especially when you consider the high price of new medical equipment. In order to keep up with the latest advancements in healthcare, hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities need to invest significant amounts of money. The problem is that it’s hard to predict exactly how much they will need.
With 3D printing, though, that all changes. After years of being used in manufacturing, medical 3D printing has finally begun to take off. The technology works by using a plastic filament to create a three-dimensional object layer by layer, which means it can produce complex objects that are very detailed.
While this might sound like a novelty, it has a lot of potential. A 3D-printed replacement knee could cost half as much as a traditional replacement, and a prosthetic hand can feel and function like the real thing. But 3D printing is much more than a cost-cutting tool. It could allow doctors to make custom-fitted medical equipment, change how they treat certain diseases by customizing drug dosages, and even enable new treatments.
Blood Donations With Robot Hands
While many people choose to donate blood, the process is lengthy and tedious. And for those with rare blood types, it’s basically impossible to donate without a new blood donor to draw blood from. Fortunately, there is a solution. Researchers at the University of Washington have developed a robot that can draw blood from donors.
The robot is designed to mimic the movements of a human operator, which means its hands can do the same movements that people can. This means the robot can deliver a more thorough blood draw and draw blood from a wider range of donors.
The hand-like device can be programmed to draw blood from any part of the body, which means it could be used for blood donations for people with medical conditions that restrict their blood flow.
Artificial Intelligence For Health Care: Why It’s So Important
AI has been a buzzword in the healthcare industry for years now, and for good reason. Healthcare organizations have been using AI for years to analyze data, crunch numbers, and provide insights into patient care. But those AI systems have largely been used for administrative purposes and not in patient care.
Now, though, that may be changing. Researchers from Stanford University’s School of Medicine are working on AI that can be used to make diagnoses.
The system would use patient data, like EMR records and other data, to identify symptoms and generate a diagnosis. It would also be able to present treatment options, helping doctors to select the best course of action. The hope is that this could significantly speed up the process by which patients are diagnosed. Instead of waiting weeks or months for a doctor’s appointment, patients could be diagnosed within days or even hours.
Collaborative Robots For Nursing Homes
Home health services are a growing industry, and they’re particularly important for those with certain conditions or injuries that make it difficult to leave the house. Unfortunately, many nursing homes are expensive, and the costs and benefits can be difficult to compare.
That’s why some non-profit organizations are turning to collaborative robots for medical services. Robots for medical services can be used for a lot of things, like monitoring blood pressure, performing weight checks, and even dispensing medication.
These robots can be programmed to perform these tasks, with no need for healthcare workers to manually operate them. That means that instead of staffing up to perform these services, nursing homes can offer these robot-based services instead. These robots can also be programmed to follow specific protocols, which helps to reduce risks and make sure patients aren’t being over- or under-treated.
Deodorizing Toilets For Healthy Workplaces
Healthy workplaces are important for worker health and productivity. Unfortunately, many people aren’t aware of the benefits of clean, healthy workplaces. That’s why a startup in California is trying to bring awareness to the issue by using deodorizing toilet paper. The idea is that workers spend a lot of time in restrooms at work, and a lot of people don’t know how to keep them clean and healthy.
That’s why Healthy Tokes is trying to bring awareness to the issue by tracking people’s usage of their restrooms, and then sending out “healthy” toilet paper sponges to help keep the floors clean. These sponges are made of odor-neutralizing charcoal, which keeps the air in the restrooms fresh and clean.
Electronic Medical Records And EMR Software Development
Electronic health records (EHRs) have been around for years, but they have largely been used for administrative functions. Now, though, they are being used for more important things, like improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare costs. That’s especially true for EHR software and related technologies.
These are increasingly becoming essential for the operation of healthcare facilities, as they help to reduce healthcare costs and improve care delivery. That’s because they allow healthcare facilities to coordinate their operations through a single platform, helping to cut down on the time it takes to perform various tasks.
Footwear Encapsulation To Protect Feet From Infection And Injury
When a person breaks a leg, ankle, or foot, the first thing that may come to mind is the possibility of being placed in a cast. Unfortunately, though, that’s often not the best option. Casts are bulky and can be uncomfortable, while they also block movement and cause the person to risk falling again.
Now, though, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have developed a new way to help protect broken bones and prevent future injuries. The technology is based on shoe insoles, and it has the potential to help people who break a bone walk again after a simple surgery. The device works by injecting liquid plastic into the foot.
The liquid is designed to stretch and mold to the shape of the foot, creating a protective layer that protects the foot from damage and prevents further injury. The liquid plastic is designed to be non-toxic and non-repellant, which means it doesn’t cause any discomfort or itchiness.
Augmented Reality
Augmented reality (AR) is a type of virtual reality that blends reality and computer graphics. AR is different from VR because it mixes digital elements (e.g., computer-generated images) with the user’s real surroundings (e.g., via GPS, camera, etc.). AR has many different medical applications such as helping patients understand medications and their treatments. AR is also being explored for use in therapeutic environments such as hospitals and care homes.
Robot Caretakers
Robots can play an important part in the healthcare industry. They can assist in a wide range of tasks, including serving as personal assistants for elderly patients and helping to care for patients with disabilities. Some of the most interesting areas of robot caretakers are the ones focused on medical research and education.
Researchers are using robots to help advance health research in many ways. Firstly, researchers can use robots to conduct medical experiments that would be impossible to conduct on humans. Secondly, robots can help researchers to collect large amounts of data.
Sensory-Enhanced Environment
Sensory-Enhanced Environments are places that take advantage of the senses to improve users’ health and well-being. The most common types of SSE include
- Acoustic SSE: This type of SSE uses sounds, music, and other environmental stimuli to improve the user’s health and well-being.
- Visual SSE: This type of SSE uses sights, including images and graphics, to improve the user’s health and well-being.
- Multisensory SSE: This type of SSE uses a combination of the senses to improve the user’s health and well-being.
Bottom Line
Healthcare is an ever-changing industry. It’s important to understand how the way we look after ourselves has changed thanks to innovations in healthcare. Artificial intelligence can be used to assist humans in making important decisions, improving the quality of life.
VR can be used to help people manage chronic medical conditions, and robots can serve as caretakers by assisting with activities such as serving as personal assistants for elderly patients and helping to care for patients with disabilities.
Sensory-Enhanced Environments are places that take advantage of the senses to improve users’ health and well-being. VR is also being explored for use in therapeutic environments such as hospitals and care homes, and robot caretakers can make a significant impact on health and well-being. And through its food and beverage platform, the company is reducing food waste that otherwise would have gone to waste.
